Thousands of weddings in doubt over ‘confusion’

THOUSANDS of weddings in England will have to be cancelled following confusion over the Government’s road map out of Covid restrictions, the industry is warning.

The Weddings Taskforce, set up with the support of Government to represent the sector, had expected all venues to reopen from April 12 based on ‘widespread’ interpretation of guidance published on February 24.

But it said it had now received confirmation, after weeks of asking, that weddings and receptions are only permitted for 15 guests between April 12 and May 16 in places of worship, public buildings, locations and outdoor settings that are already permitted to open.

This does not include the vast majority of England’s licensed wedding venues where over 70 per cent of weddings take place.

The taskforce estimates this will affect around 7,000 weddings planned before May 17. In a statement, the taskforce said: “We believe Government should honour the reasonable assumptions made by couples, venues, suppliers and their own registrars.

“All weddings and receptions for up to 15 people should be permitted in Covidsecure wedding venues. Couples understand the limitations, and venues, by law, operate with strict safety protocols in place.”

Weddings Taskforce spokeswoman Sarah Haywood said: “Reasonably, people such as venues, couples, businesses, and registrars interpreted the road map announcement as wedding venues could host weddings and receptions for 15, as last year, from April 12.” Ms Haywood also attacked the absurdity of the rules, saying: “A couple could technically get married in a zoo, but not in a Covid-safe, purpose-built wedding venue.”